


Unexpected

by lonely_no_more



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 23:46:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15673707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonely_no_more/pseuds/lonely_no_more
Summary: Levi seemed extremely bothered as Erwin watched from the doorway of his office. His husband looked tense. He leaned against the door frame until Levi pulled the phone away from his ear and tossed it on the desk. And, as soon as the much shorter man bowed his head to rest in his hands, Erwin knew it was serious. “What happened?”“Remember how I told you I had some distant relatives that I barely know?”“Yes, I remember.”“They were killed in a car accident.”--In which Levi and Erwin get an unexpected addition to their family.





	Unexpected

Levi seemed extremely bothered as Erwin watched from the doorway of his office. His husband looked tense. He leaned against the door frame until Levi pulled the phone away from his ear and tossed it on the desk. And, as soon as the much shorter man bowed his head to rest in his hands, Erwin knew it was serious. “What happened?”

“Remember how I told you I had some distant relatives that I barely know?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“They were killed in a car accident.” Levi rubbed his temples as he sat back up. “There was one survivor. Incredibly.”

Erwin’s eyes widened marginally and he took a few steps closer. “And? Do they need any help?”

“She definitely does,” Levi muttered. He looked at Erwin with a seemingly level but obviously stressed expression. “She’s only  _ four _ .”

He blinked, shocked by the revelation. “A four-year-old survived a car accident?” Erwin brought his hand up to cup his chin thoughtfully. “Well? What can we do?”

“I’m the only living relative and they listed me as next of kin. So we’re gonna have custody of the brat until they can find something better for her.” He scowled when Erwin seemed to light up. “We’ve been over this. I’m not looking forward to having a kid around the house.”

“But Levi-”

“As soon as they tell us they’ve found a home for her, she’s going.” The brunette stood up and grabbed his empty tea cup from his desk, beginning to make his way to the kitchen. “Get your shoes, we gotta go get her at the hospital. We also have to talk to the damn social worker...”

* * *

 

The drive to the hospital was a quiet one. Erwin suspected that Levi was bothered knowing that he’d had little interaction with the rest of his family and to suddenly have a very young family member thrust upon them was unwelcome. As they finally parked, the blonde glanced over at his husband and said, “You know, this is going to be stressful. But you did say that you had been curious about the rest of your family. Maybe this will be a chance to find out.” 

Levi grumbled, “Yeah, sure.” It wasn’t until they had entered and been directed to an office that he finally spoke to a woman who was sitting at a desk. She had popped her head back up when she had heard the door open. “Petra?”

“Levi, hello,” she answered. The redhead got to her feet and smiled sadly. “Sorry that we meet again under such awful circumstances.” She knelt briefly and could be heard whispering, “It’s ok, sweetheart, c’mere.” When she straightened back up, she held a little girl with pitch-colored hair. “This is Mikasa.”

Erwin felt a weak smile come to his face. “She looks like she’s in fairly good shape.”

“Amazingly,” Petra replied quietly. “She got a bit of a scratch on her face...” She turned, showing the little girl’s right cheek more clearly. A couple butterfly bandages were applied over a red slash that went about halfway over Mikasa’s cheek. “But otherwise, she seems ok. She’s very quiet though.” As Petra approached, Levi looked as though he got more and more tense. “I know you’re a responsible person, Levi. And she doesn’t have anyone left. We couldn’t find any relatives on her mother’s side and you were the only one listed on her father’s side.”

Erwin held out his arms and asked, “May I?”

Petra seemed to brighten a little and she gently handed the girl over to the man. It was amusing, really, to see Mikasa in the arms of such a big man. “Mikasa, this is Erwin. Him and Levi are your relatives.”

Mikasa finally looked more responsive as she turned and looked up at Erwin properly. He was slightly shocked by how grey her eyes were. There weren’t any traces of blue or any other colors. They were just solid grey. Softly, he smiled and said, “Hello, Mikasa.”

She simply held up one little hand and waved once. Mikasa almost looked bashful. The girl turned to look at Petra and questioned, “Are mommy and daddy still in heaven?”

The question left all three adults in the room speechless. Erwin was honestly afraid that Petra was going to burst into tears. However, she managed to keep her composure as she nodded. “Yes, sweetheart, they’re still in heaven. Levi and Erwin are gonna take care of you, all right? They’re very, very nice.”

Mikasa nodded slowly and murmured, “Ok...” After documents were signed and Petra had given them some packets on parenting toddlers, it wasn’t until they began to turn and leave that Mikasa poked her head over Erwin’s shoulder to wave and say, “Bye-bye, Miss Petra.”

“Bye-bye, honey. I’ll come say hi every other week, ok?” The girl smiled and nodded before settling back down against Erwin’s chest. Then, as they began to walk out of the hospital, they heard hurried footsteps behind them and they paused to see Petra running after them with a child safety seat. “S-sorry, I didn’t think you’d have one yet. But here. Do you need me to show you how to strap it in properly?” 

“How hard can it be?” Levi asked. 

Petra raised one brow at him and retorted, “You’d be surprised.” She followed them to the car and showed them how to get the seat strapped in safely before showing them how to make sure Mikasa was correctly and securely buckled in. “There. Any questions?”

Erwin asked worriedly, “It isn’t too tight on her, is it?”

The redhead laughed and answered, “No. Just be careful to make sure she doesn’t have the straps digging into her skin or pinching. She should be ok.” Then, Petra waved at Mikasa one last time before heading back inside. 

Driving home was more awkwardly quiet than anything else and Erwin felt himself grow slightly anxious. He glanced at Levi, who was in the passenger seat looking through the parenting information that Petra had given them. “What kind of foods should she eat?”

“Fuck if I know,” Levi retorted, “she’s not a dog.” He blinked when his husband shot him a glare. “What?”

“You can’t say words like that in front of her, Levi, she’s four.”

“What, do you think she’s gonna be out in public sometime and start swearing at someone?” The man paused and a faint smile finally came to his features. “Come to think of it, that would be pretty entertaining. A four-year-old little girl cussing out some poor sap.”

“Levi, that isn’t funny.” Erwin glanced in the rear view mirror for a quick look at Mikasa who seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. He sighed heavily and it wasn’t until they pulled into the driveway that he spoke again. “Well, we better try and get something figured out. She’ll get the spare bedroom.”

“Wasn’t that supposed to become your office?” Levi asked as he got out of the car. He watched as Erwin ducked, getting the little girl out of the car, and realizing that Mikasa had actually fallen asleep. 

“Not anymore,” he answered, “it’s gonna be Mikasa’s room.” Erwin let Levi hold the door, seeing as he was almost afraid to only hold Mikasa with one arm. “Well, as soon as she’s awake, we can figure out what to do about dinner. Did Petra give us anything about Mikasa’s allergies or something?” 

Levi shuffled through the papers, trying to find anything close to what they were looking for. He finally spotted a few medical records. “Looks like her only allergy is fish.”

“Well, at least it’s only fish. That should make feeding her a little easier. We’ll just have to avoid foods that were processed in the same plants as fish.” He carefully set Mikasa down on the couch, pulling the throw blanket off the back to cover her up. Erwin cupped his chin in thought as he looked at the little girl. “We need to get her a bed. And clothes. Probably some toys…”

“How long do you think she's gonna be here?” his husband asked. At the look Erwin gave him, Levi muttered, “Look, I'm not a kid person. They're messy, they're loud, they get sick…”

Erwin said, “Adults get sick too.” 

“But kids are  _ worse _ ,” he responded. 

The blonde rolled his eyes. “She doesn't seem to be loud.” 

“We've had her for an hour.” Levi sighed and rubbed his temples. “Can we figure out what the fuck to eat? I’m starving, my head is starting to hurt and I’m exhausted.”

A little voice asked quietly, “Food?” Levi’s attention went immediately to the little girl who was peering at him tiredly. Mikasa’s eyes were startlingly clear and Levi had to wonder how long the girl had actually been awake. “What’re we gonna eat?” she questioned. 

As he looked at her, Levi had to begrudgingly admit that she did look fairly cute as her cheek was pressed to the pillow and her bright grey eyes were set directly on him. “What will you eat?”

“Anythin’,” she answered. “I’m hungry.”

Erwin paused and mumbled, “Uhm...do you like chicken? And mashed potatoes?”

Mikasa nodded. “Green beans?”

“You like green beans?” Erwin asked, kneeling down to be closer to Mikasa’s height.

She nodded again. As the man stood and began to walk away, Mikasa began to sit up. “Can I cook too?”

The blonde man glanced at her curiously and murmured, “You want to cook?”

“Mommy would let me help.” She brightened when Erwin nodded and held out his hand. Mikasa scurried over to him and grabbed his hand with her smaller hands. 

Levi watched from where he was sitting in his chair. “He’s never going to let her leave...”

* * *

 

Two years later saw Mikasa formally adopted by Erwin and Levi. When they were told that there was a family open to taking her, even Levi himself had outright refused. It hadn’t necessarily been easy. Mikasa was actively going to a psychiatrist for the trauma she had experienced and there were several nights she would wander into Levi and Erwin’s room crying, asking to sleep with them. 

However, one of the nicer changes was Mikasa began to refer to Levi and Erwin as dad and papa, respectively. And, to Levi’s pleasant surprise, Mikasa was not a particularly loud child. She enjoyed reading immensely and especially loved to sit right next to Levi as he read his own book. Her first day of kindergarten had been hard for Erwin, seeing as he had a job that allowed him to work from home and he had really loved being a stay-at-home dad. As they stood outside the school, Erwin felt his eyes sting. He blinked when he felt his hand get tugged. As soon as he realized it was Mikasa, he flashed her a smile and asked, “What is it, sweetie?”

“I’m ok, papa, don’t cry. It’ll be fine.” Mikasa looked a little unsure of herself but was clearly trying to make him feel better. “You’re gonna pick me up after I’m done, right?”

He knelt and squeezed her hands in his gently, letting his tears fall as he replied, “Of course I will. Just have a good day, ok? School is fun and you’ll learn a lot.”

“More than you already taught me?” she questioned incredulously. Mikasa’s concern appeared to worsen as she pulled her hands from Erwin’s and brushed at his cheeks. 

Erwin laughed. “Well, maybe not quite yet but eventually.” He pulled the girl into his arms for a hug before letting go and standing back up. “It’ll be all right, I’ll be the first person here and I’ll be waiting right here to pick you up, ok? Now, go have a good day at school.”

Mikasa glanced at Levi for confirmation, hesitating to join her classmates. Levi sighed heavily but reached out, gently resting his hand on the top of her head. He smiled softly and said, “Your papa is right. You’ll be just fine. And we’ll make tonkatsu tonight.” The man felt a bit better when he saw Mikasa light up at the promise. Then, after she gave him a hug and ran to meet up with everyone, he looked over at his husband. “You’re such a fucking dork.”

“What, I can’t help it,” he protested. They walked back to the car and he asked, “Why are you getting in the driver’s side?”

“You’ve been crying and you look like you could even cry some more. I don’t want you wiping your damn nose and then touching the steering wheel,” Levi retorted. 

The blonde huffed, “I wouldn’t do that!”

“Did you remember tissues?” 

There was a long pause as Erwin searched his pockets, eventually pulling out a handkerchief. “I’ve got this.” 

Levi rolled his eyes and muttered, “Just get in. We’ve gotta go to the store and get the stuff for tonkatsu.” Their day was spent getting groceries and enjoying a few hours of time alone; it was nice, although Erwin was still concerned about how their daughter was doing during her first day. So, as soon as it was close to time for school to get out, Erwin was out the door and in the car, leaving Levi to begin prepping for their dinner.

Mikasa came bounding up to him as he had just gotten out of his car to stand on the sidewalk in front of the school. “Papa!” She laughed as he knelt, scooping her up into his arms. “I like school!”

He smiled encouragingly as he turned and headed back towards the car. “You did? How about you wait to tell me everything until we get home so dad can hear about it too, ok?”

She nodded in response and climbed into her booster seat after Erwin had opened the door. “Ok. But I made some friends.” Her backpack sat next to her and she idly kicked her feet as they drove. “Is dad already cooking?”

“Yeah, he wanted it to be almost ready when we get home,” the blonde man answered, eyes glancing in the rear view mirror to look at the excitement on Mikasa’s face. “I guess this means you’ll be more excited about going to school then, huh?”

The little girl nodded and before long they had pulled into the driveway. Once freed of her booster seat, Mikasa grabbed her backpack and practically sprinted to the front door. She waited impatiently, bouncing a little on her toes before Erwin actually made it to the door and opened it. Then, she took her backpack off, hanging it hurriedly before rushing into the kitchen. “Dad!” 

Levi would likely never admit it- maybe not even to Erwin- but it made his chest feel pleasantly warm every time that Mikasa addressed him as dad. “So, how was school?” He grunted when she threw her arms around his waist for a hug. It never ceased to amaze him how strong Mikasa was for being so young. ‘ _ Damn kid is gonna be a fuckin’ MMA fighter if this keeps up _ ,’ he thought. A terrifying prospect, really. And, honestly, he wasn’t sure if it was the thought of someone else hitting his daughter or the damage she could easily cause someone else that terrified him more. 

“School was great! I made two friends and my teacher is nice-” 

“Wow, ok, hang on,” Levi muttered, “how about you finish telling me slowly- after you go wash up. Food’s ready.” He smiled at the pout on her face but watched it quickly fade into a smile as he ruffled her hair. “Go on, wash your hands.” As she dashed off to wash her hands for dinner, Levi glanced at Erwin. “She seems to be adjusting well.”

“Better than me,” Erwin sighed. 

The brunette rolled his eyes and huffed. “You’ll get used to it soon enough. Stop being a piss-baby about it.”

“Levi, what if she hears you?” 

“She’s heard me say worse,” Levi retorted. While he began to plate their food, he heard Erwin sit down heavily. Quietly, he asked, “Arm giving you trouble again?”

“Some days are worse than others,” Erwin replied. He gave his husband a small smile. “It’ll ease up a bit.” His smile brightened when Mikasa came back in. “Ok, how was your day, princess?”

Mikasa’s cheeks reddened as she settled into her chair, hands immediately coming up to cover her face. “Papa, stop, I’m not a princess...”

He reached over and grabbed the seat of the chair, tugging it closer to him so he could ruffle her hair. “Yes, you are. You’re our princess.” Erwin grinned and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “Ok, so tell us how your day was.” 

After the little girl got back in her spot and Levi was setting her plate down, she started, “Well, my teacher is really nice. His name is Mr. Berner. Eren said Mr. Berner looks nerdy but I don’t think he does.”

“And Eren is one of your new friends?” Levi questioned. 

Mikasa nodded excitedly. “He’s kind of loud but he means well, I think. He protected Armin from Jean. Jean is a bully.” Her little face scrunched up as she announced, “I don’t like Jean.” 

“Is Armin your other new friend?” Erwin asked; he was lit up almost as much as Mikasa was, eagerly listening to her. 

“Yeah, Armin is littler that Eren and me,” the little girl answered. “His hair is almost as long as mine. And it’s yellow like yours, papa.” She added, “And he’s really smart. He said his mom and dad work in a lab. They’re scientists.”

Levi couldn’t help but smile as he watched Erwin lean on his good arm, leaning in to grin and listen to Mikasa’s story avidly. And Mikasa looked equally happy. It warmed his heart and he reached over to gently wipe his daughter’s cheek.

* * *

 

Watching Mikasa get older was both amazing but incredibly difficult. There were days that Levi and Erwin just looked at one another and wondered when she got so big. At twelve, Mikasa was already as tall as Levi. To which, of course, he took offense to when his husband teased him. She was constantly involved in sports and was already showing an interest in art and music. Mikasa had also taken a liking to coffee, much to Levi’s chagrin.

However, one of the most difficult things was trying to nurse her first heartache. 

Mikasa had been in her room the entire time since coming home from school and Levi crossed his arms, glancing up the stairs to where her room was. “We have to do something.”

“But what can we do?” Erwin asked quietly. Admittedly, the man was worried for his daughter. She hadn’t even paused to greet the two men when she entered the house. “I know she had that crush on that girl but...”

Levi sighed heavily. “Babe, I need you to make that really good hot chocolate. And pop some homemade popcorn.” He began to make his way up the stairs and muttered, “I’m gonna see what we can do.” When he knocked on Mikasa’s bedroom door, there was no answer. “Mikasa, it’s dad.”

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice muffled. 

“I’m gonna come in,” he announced, “I wanna talk to you.” When he opened the door, the first thing he noticed was the fact that she was curled up and hugging one of her pillows. Her eyes were red and it was obvious she had been crying. Levi felt his heart ache for her. The man walked over and knelt beside her bed. “Mikasa, what’s wrong? Your papa is worried. And so am I.”

There was a long pause while the girl seemed to go through several emotions before more tears started to fall. “Why do boys still like me even though I’ve said that I only like girls?”

“Well, you’re a very pretty girl. And you’re very smart. And funny,” he responded gently. 

“Then why can’t any girls like me?” Her voice was starting to crack. 

His heart sank further. “Ah...”

“Sasha only likes me as a friend,” she murmured. “I didn’t ask her out or anything. I just...told her I liked her as more than just friend.”

Levi frowned a bit. “And she can’t.”

Mikasa shook her head. She turned her face into the pillow she was hugging, beginning to cry again. For several moments, the girl just cried, her shoulders shaking and body wracking with her coughs. When she finally turned her face away from the pillow, her whole face was red and her eyes were puffy and watery. She had given herself the hiccups with all the crying and they interrupted her sentence as she asked, “What if- there’s never any girls- that like me, dad?”

His jaw flexed. Levi knew he couldn’t be upset by someone not being interested in Mikasa because that isn’t fair to the other person but it still frustrated him that it had caused Mikasa to question if anyone would ever like her. It’s never an easy situation for a parent to see their child wondering if they’d ever be loved. A moment passed before he stood and lifted Mikasa into his arms. “Papa’s making hot chocolate and that popcorn that you like.” He headed down the stairs and into the family room, calling out, “Babe, we’re in the family room! We’re gonna watch Mikasa’s favorite!”

“ _ Beauty and the Beast _ ?”

“ _ The Little Mermaid _ , you ditz.”  

Hoarsely, Mikasa stated, “I like  _ Beauty and the Beast _ too...” 

Levi sat down on the couch, still holding Mikasa in his arms. “Y’know what, fuck it. It’s Friday. We’ll do a damn marathon.” He was kind of apathetic towards Disney movies. The biggest reason he watched them was because Mikasa loved them. It made him smile to see the weak curve of Mikasa’s lips as she looked up at him. 

It was one of the rare times that Levi felt like Mikasa was small again; she curled up, tucking herself under his chin and turning her head enough to watch the movie as Levi turned it on. “Dad...?”

“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked quietly. 

Mikasa blinked a couple times, vaguely surprised that her dad used a pet name with her. He rarely used them. “Thank you. For trying to make me feel better,” she replied. 

“Don’t thank me until I actually succeed,” Levi stated. He flashed a confident smirk her way, happy to see his daughter actually light up a little. “And I always succeed. Right?”

She huffed a short laugh and gently pressed her head to his shoulder. “Right,” Mikasa agreed. 

“Has it already started?” Erwin asked, holding a tray with three mugs steaming and a big bowl of popcorn.

“Nah, it’s just that opening part where all the merpeople are swimming to that auditorium, theater, whatever the fuck it is,” Levi answered. He accepted his mug and smiled when Mikasa sat up to take her own mug. The shorter man huffed when his husband nestled into the corner of the couch, effectively squishing Levi between Erwin and Mikasa. “You’re bigger than I am, Erwin, you’re not a lap dog!” 

Mikasa giggled softly, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “Do you need me to move-”

“No,” he quickly said, “that’s not-” Levi paused, seeing the smug look on her face. “You little shit, you’re referring to the fact we’re almost the same height.”

“As in she’s slightly taller than you?” Erwin questioned. He started laughing when his husband growled. 

“She is not taller than me!”

“Yet,” Mikasa supplied. She grinned when her papa burst into more boisterous laughter and her dad shot her a halfhearted glare. “I’m getting there though, right?”

Levi looked as though he were teetering between outrage and laughter. He finally pinched the bridge of his nose and heaved a sigh. “Let’s just get comfortable and watch the movie.” It took a moment for them to all settle in and finally be able to focus on the movie itself. Levi smiled a little as he heard Mikasa singing softly with the songs. He couldn’t believe her voice was so pretty and so strong for a girl her age. 

They were on the third movie when Levi felt Mikasa lean against his shoulder again. When he looked over, he saw that she had a happy smile on her face and, though her eyes were still a little red, they weren’t watery anymore. He let himself smile a bit and tilted his head a little to rest his head atop hers. Levi felt Erwin’s arm slide across his shoulders so he could lightly stroke Mikasa’s hair. 

Everything felt right. And even though Mikasa had been crying just earlier, the family was sitting together happily, watching a Disney movie marathon. He murmured, “Feeling better now?” Levi waited for his daughter’s response, knowing that even though it wasn’t going to cure the ache in her heart, it still might help take her mind off of it.

“Much,” she whispered in reply.

* * *

 

“Oh my God, papa,  _ no _ ,” she groaned, covering her face. 

“But Mikasa, I need pictures, this is a big thing!” Erwin protested. He motioned to his phone. “It’ll only take a couple minutes.”

“You said that when I went to my  _ first _ school dance and I was nearly thirty minutes late,” Mikasa answered. 

Erwin replied, “But this is prom, this is really, really big!” He smiled when a car pulled into the driveway and he saw Eren and Armin getting out. “Hey, guys. I was just about to take pictures!” 

Levi sighed, feigning exasperation. “Can you get finished taking pictures so they can go to the damn dance?” 

“Fine, fine, just a couple more things.” After taking a few pictures of Eren, Mikasa and Armin, Erwin watched as Eren went back to his car for something. “What’re you-” 

“It’s May the Fourth,” he answered with a big grin. Eren tossed a couple lightsabers over to his friends. “May the Fourth be with you!” The trio held up their lightsabers with big grins. 

“Oh God, that’s awful,” Levi groaned; despite rolling his eyes, he was still smiling. It made him happy to see Mikasa seemingly enjoying herself so much. He blinked when Erwin started over towards the teenagers, grabbing Levi’s wrist to tug him over as well. “What are-”

“Say, Armin will you take a picture of Mikasa with me and Levi?”

“Y-yes, of course,” the young man answered. Taking the phone, he waited until Erwin and Levi were standing on either side of Mikasa. After taking a few pictures, he lowered the phone and asked, “Is that all?”

“Just...” Erwin paused, “just one more thing.” He looked at Mikasa and stated, “I’ve spent the past fourteen years watching you grow up and I can’t tell you how amazing it’s been. But...as your papa, I want to have the first dance.” He grinned when the request made Mikasa’s cheeks go red. “If that’s ok with you.”

“That’s lame,” Mikasa teased. She held out a hand. “But...I’d love to.” They waited until Eren found a song and got it playing to start dancing. Levi quietly took out his own phone and started to record it. 

Erwin gently spun his daughter with the music and grinned at her, pleased to see her smiling and laughing as they danced on the flagstone walkway. His arm had been giving him trouble but even though he felt a twinge of pain, it was quickly forgotten as he saw the look of happiness in his daughter’s face. When the song ended, he brought her in for a hug and was careful not to mess with her hair. Erwin knew that if he messed up Mikasa’s hair, Levi would kill him. His husband had spent a good hour doing Mikasa’s hair and making it perfect. As he released her, Erwin gently cupped her cheeks and smiled down at her, tears welling in his eyes. “Go have fun at prom, princess.” 

Mikasa’s cheeks went red and she averted her eyes. “Papa, stop, I’m not a princess...” Off to the side, she heard Eren snickering until he was abruptly silenced by a glare sent his way by Levi. 

“You look like a princess to me,” he answered. Erwin pressed a kiss to her forehead and then guided her over to the car, her arm linked with his. As soon as he had helped her into the car, he stepped back to allow Levi a chance to step up to the window instead.

“Remember, curfew is one o’clock. Any later and I’ll come looking for you,” Levi warned.

“D-don’t worry, sir, we’ll have her home before then,” Eren stammered. 

“Eren, he’s joking,” Mikasa explained. She had seen the corner of his mouth twitch slightly and knew from experience that meant he was playing around. At least, partially anyway. 

“O-oh.” 

Levi stared at him evenly and muttered, “No, I’m not. Home by one or else.” When this apparently flustered Eren, Levi allowed himself to smirk and he leaned into the car so he could lightly peck Mikasa’s cheek. “Have fun, don’t do anything too crazy. No after-party. Got it?”

“Got it,” she responded, beaming at him. 

As they drove away, Erwin walked up and put an arm around his husband’s shoulders. His eyes were still a little misty as he sighed, “I can’t believe she’s already going to prom.”

“It’s been fourteen years, you fucking sap,” Levi groaned. He shook his head and reached over, rubbing Erwin’s back lightly. After watching the car disappear around the block, he mentioned, “Y’know, we’ve got the house to ourselves for a few hours.” That was all it took to get Erwin to turn around and head towards the house. 

* * *

 

Seeing Mikasa off to college was another landmark that, unsurprisingly, made Erwin emotional. He had been doing great until they got to the dorm and began setting things up. That was when his eyes started to water. “Papa, are you crying?” Mikasa asked, her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re just- you’re in college now and you’re out of the house....” 

Levi was setting up the mini-fridge and rolled his eyes. “You act as if she’s never coming home. She’ll still have to come home for the summer until she can afford her own place.” 

“Oh. Hi. You must be Mikasa,” another dark-haired girl said from the doorway. She had her hair in low pigtails and had her arms full with two boxes. 

“And you must be Mina,” Mikasa replied with a chuckle. She rushed forward to grab one of the boxes. “Here, let me help you. You look like you could use a hand.” 

Mina beamed at her. “Thanks. I don’t have a whole lot so if you need more help...”

“No, my dad and my papa already got everything up here,” Mikasa answered. She offered the other girl a warm smile. “Do you want us to help you?”

“Thanks for volunteering us,” Levi muttered. 

“ _ Dad _ ,” Mikasa retorted, her tone scolding. She turned back to Mina and rolled her eyes. “He’s just being a brat, don’t worry. He’ll help.” 

“I’m not a brat...” he grumbled. “You’re the gloomy little brat-” 

Mina giggled quietly. “You seem to have a good relationship if you can joke with your dads like that.” 

“My dad and papa are great,” Mikasa answered, a proud smile on her face.

* * *

 

Erwin and Levi were sitting together on the couch when their phones lit up near simultaneously. Sharing a glance, they agreed, “Mikasa.” Erwin reached his phone first and smiled when he opened the message. “We have time for a skype call, right?” 

“You know she uses discord, dweeb,” Levi replied. 

“Skype, discord, whatever,” his husband retorted. “You know what I mean.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I guess she wasn’t sure if I worked tonight or not. Otherwise, she probably would’ve only texted you.” Levi moved to sit up a little more so that he wasn’t curled under Erwin’s arm anymore. He peeked over Erwin’s shoulder when the video came on and announced, “I thought you knew my schedule.” 

“You said it changed just a couple weeks ago, so I couldn’t be completely sure,” she defended. 

“How are your classes, princess?” Erwin asked. 

Mikasa shrugged. “They’re going ok. My professors are pretty nice. There’s one that talks in a monotone and sometimes he talks in circles, so that’s a little annoying but I’m still doing well in his class.” 

“Is there anything else you want to tell us? You seem excited about something,” Levi said, his eyes looking at her discerningly. 

She blushed almost immediately and mumbled, “Oh, well, yeah. Uhm. I- I’ve got a girlfriend now...” 

The men both stared at her for a moment before Erwin dove into a flurry of questions. “What’s her name? How old is she? Where is she from-” 

“Let her talk, Erwin, fuckin’ hell,” Levi grumbled, “it’s almost like you suddenly decided to spout shit from your damn mouth.”

“It’s the detective in me,” his husband answered. “I want to know who thinks they’re good enough for our little girl.” 

Mikasa rolled her eyes. “Papa, I’m not a little girl anymore...” 

“You’re still our little girl,” Erwin replied. “Now, this girl, what’s she like?”

Their daughter mumbled, “Well, about that, I was hoping to formally introduce you to her this weekend. We were gonna come visit. It’s a lot easier to drive home and visit you guys than it is to go see her parents.”

Erwin nodded. “Of course. But she has to sleep on the futon. She can’t sleep in your room with you.”

“ _ Papa _ .”

* * *

 

By the time the weekend rolled around, Levi had made sure that house looked immaculate and Erwin made sure it was stocked with food. They bolted up from the couch when they heard keys in the lock. There, in the doorway, Mikasa stood with a much shorter girl. “Dad, Papa, this is Annie, my girlfriend. Annie, this is my Papa, Erwin and my Dad, Levi. “ 

The blonde girl shifted on her feet a little uncomfortably but shot them a brief smile. “It’s great to finally meet you. Mikasa never shuts up about you.” 

Mikasa’s cheeks went red and she hissed, “You weren’t supposed to tell them that.” 

Annie shot her a mischievous grin. She squirmed away when Mikasa grabbed her sides, tickling her. “ _ Brat! _ ”

The men watched, a little surprised, that Mikasa was so openly playful with someone else. She hadn’t been like that with any of her friends. Not to say she wasn’t a playful, sweet person, because she was. But Erwin and Levi had only seen it in small quantities with people that weren’t them. “Well, it looks like you two are pretty used to one another,” Erwin noted lightly. His eyes fell discerningly on the blonde girl and he noticed that she immediately straightened up. Mikasa did likewise. 

“Well, let’s go. I made Mikasa’s favorite to celebrate.” 

“ _ Tonkatsu _ ?” she whispered fervently. 

“Tonkatsu,” he confirmed. He actually smiled when Mikasa hurried past him to the kitchen, knowing instantly that she was going to wash her hands. To Annie, he muttered, “Shoes off in the house, please.” Levi watched as she complied. “You can wash your hands in the kitchen sink. That’s what the little dork is doing now.” 

“I heard that!” Mikasa called. 

“I wasn’t hiding it,” Levi retorted, his smile turning into a smirk. 

Annie blinked, a little surprised by how easily the family seemed to tease one another. She glanced at Erwin. He was so much taller than she was. Not that that by itself was intimidating. But something about the look in his eyes made her wonder if he ever stopped thinking. “Were you a cop or something?”

“Police detective,” he replied. He offered her a smile and gestured to the kitchen. “Please. I know Mikasa is starving and excited for us to get to know you.” 

She went ahead of him and sat down next to Mikasa at the table. It was a little funny to see Mikasa actually act a little childish around her fathers, in Annie’s eyes, because she was used to seeing a mostly professional young woman with a deep interest in music. And yet, here she was joking around and blushing whenever Erwin used childhood pet names for her. 

“C’mon, princess-” 

“Papa, no, I’m not a princess,” she protested, her cheeks going bright red. 

“You sure about that?” Annie teased. She smirked at the half-hearted glare that Mikasa gave her. “You showed me pictures of you at prom. You looked like a princess.” 

“ _ Ugh _ ,” she groaned. 

Erwin lit up and asked, “Didn’t she? See, I told you.” He took a few bites before setting his fork down and folding his hands together. “So, Annie, what’s your major?” 

“Uh, I’m- uhm, I’m an anthropology/archaeology major. With a minor in Russian...” 

“Russian?” he asked, brows shooting up. “I’ve actually never met anyone who speaks Russian. Do you enjoy it?”

“Yeah, I enjoy it. I kind of grew up hearing bits and pieces of it. My mother is half-Russian,” Annie explained. “My high school offered a Russian class, so I took that all four years so I could learn more.” 

Erwin smiled. “Huh. I’ve never heard of a high school offering Russian before. Do you know why they offered Russian specifically?” 

“Well, where I’m from, there’s a big population of Russian immigrants...” 

Levi sighed heavily and glanced at Mikasa. “I’m sorry. Your papa is gonna be interrogating her the entire dinner, probably.” 

“I’m not interrogating her...” 

“Erwin...” 

“Fine, fine,” the blonde man huffed. “Anyway. How did you two meet? A mutual class?”

Mikasa and Annie looked at one another and smiled before laughing. “No, not at all. We don’t have any classes in common,” Mikasa answered. “We actually met because of Mina. Well. Formally met anyway. I went into the coffee shop on campus and Annie was working there. I made a joke about her height and so she  _ pointedly _ spelled my name wrong.” 

“In my defense, I had only heard  _ Mikasa _ as ‘ _ mi casa _ ,’ which is Spanish. So...” Annie pointed out. 

“Do you ever stop being a brat?” Mikasa chuckled. 

Annie smirked. “Never.” 

Erwin and Levi exchanged a look. Mikasa had never had that kind of banter with anyone, not even her first (and only) girlfriend. Levi hummed, a smile on his face. “Sounds like you two have plenty of fun together though. What do you like to do for dates?” 

“Museums,” Mikasa chimed.

“Or the zoo,” Annie added. “We also like just going for walks. That’s fun too.” 

“Oh and we like cooking together,” their daughter supplied. 

“You have a kitchen?” Erwin asked incredulously. 

Annie explained, “I live off-campus with a couple friends. We split the rent three ways. So Mikasa will come over and we’ll cook together.” She added, “And you really need to stop judging me because of how fat my fish is. That’s not my fault. I’ve told Ymir numerous times not to overfeed her.”

“You...have a fish?” Levi asked. 

“Yeah, a betta. She’s a fat fuck,” Annie replied. 

Levi’s mouth twitched briefly, as if he might actually grin. Mikasa beamed. Anytime that someone could get Levi to make that face, she knew that they had won his respect. Even if it was just a small amount.

* * *

 

Erwin was pacing the room while Levi stood behind Mikasa, trying to fix her hair, getting the decorative hair comb placed. He glanced at his husband and grumbled, “Will you stop pacing? You’re gonna make me hurl.” 

“Papa, it’s ok, you don’t have to worry so much,” Mikasa tried to soothe. There, sitting in a beautiful shiromuku. The pure white stood out, complementing Mikasa’s pitch-black hair. “Everything is...is fine,” she stated. Her voice wavered slightly, however. Even her nerves were on edge. Everything leading up to this had been meticulously planned but it was stressful. 

“If I don’t pace, I’m afraid that I’ll cry,” he insisted. Erwin was dressed in a tuxedo; as one of the fathers of one of the brides, he wanted to look perfect. Levi was dressed in hakama. 

Levi pointed out, “You’re gonna cry anyway, you big mess...” 

Soon enough, Armin poked his head in and said, “The music started. Are you ready?” 

Mikasa took a deep breath and murmured, “Yes. I’m ready.” She smiled at her fathers. “Will both of you walk me down the aisle?” 

The men didn’t hesitate before they replied, “Of course.”

The ceremony itself was, as Levi figured, smooth. Erwin did cry but that was to be expected. Mikasa nearly burst into tears as she was walked down the aisle to meet Annie, who was standing in her dress and veil. Levi and Erwin handed her over to Annie and then stepped away, watching with their chests swelling with pride. 

As soon as Mikasa bent to kiss Annie, the applause was nearly deafening. Though it had been a modest affair, with only family and their closest friends, Eren made sure to clap and cheer. 

As they were having their first dance, Annie looked up and asked, “Are you happy?”

“More than you can believe,” Mikasa answered. Her eyes were actually teary as she spoke. 

“Excuse me,” Erwin said as he stepped up. “May I have a dance with my daughter?” He offered Annie a big, teary smile. 

“Of course,” replied Annie, stepping away so Erwin could take Mikasa’s hand. 

He shook his head. “I mean you, Annie. You’re my daughter now too.” 

Annie’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing. She glanced over at Mikasa in slight shock. “Well...are you gonna dance with him?” Mikasa questioned, smiling a bit. 

“Considering I’d like to dance with you,” Levi cut in. He took Mikasa’s hand. “C’mon. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” 

As Erwin led with Annie, he murmured, “Annie, I’d like to thank you. For making Mikasa feel understood again. For a while, we were afraid that it would take...a while for her to find someone.” 

“I...” she mumbled, “I only hope I can keep her happy. I love Mikasa. I’ve never met anyone like her.” 

“Just do what you’ve done so far,” he advised. “But remember that it takes communication and a willingness to learn and change as you grow together.” He looked over at where Mikasa and Levi were dancing. “That’s the best advice I can give you.” His eyes widened when the young woman stopped abruptly, throwing her arms around him in a hug. Erwin’s lips curled into a smile as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You two will be fine,” he reassured her. 


End file.
